Toll-collector s register



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE..

VALTER T; LOOMIS, OFVISALA, KENTUCKY.

TOLL-COLLECTORS REGlSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,406, dated January 4, 1887..

A pplicntion filed June 12, 15586. Serial No. 204,912. (Xo model.)

To @ZZ who/1t it may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER T. LooMrs, a4 citizen of the United States, residing at Visalia, in the county of Kenton, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toll-Collectors Registers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a register that will compel collectors on turnpilres, bridges, the., to keep a correct account of all money received for toll, the construction of said register being as follows: A suitable dial has a series of perforations or pits, preferably arranged in a circle concentric with the shaft of a hand or other pointer adapted to travel around the face of said dial until arrested by a pin or other stop temporarily inserted in one of the aforesaid perforations. This pin or stop is inserted in a perforation the number of which corresponds with the sum of money received for toll, and the instant said piu is struck by the hand a bell or gong is automatically sounded, for the purpose of giving audible notice of the toll being paid. The pointer is operated by the collector pulling a handle that depends from the exposed end of a cord, strap, or chain, the inner or concealed end of said cord being wound around a pulley, in order that the uncoiling of the cord may set a train of gear-Wheels in motion, and thereby register all the money that may be received, either for a day, week, month, or other term. Furthermore, the construction of the register is such as to insure an automatic reverse turning of the pointer the instant the collector quits his grasp of the handle, which pointer is thus brought back to the zero-mark of the dial every time the register is operated, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of a portion of a register embodying my improvements, the hand being shown at the Zeromark of the dial and parts of the gearing being seen. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same portion ofthe register, the cap or lid that ineloses the gearing being removed and the Wheels being set at their respective Zero-marks. Fig. 3 is another front elevation of a portion of the register, the hand being shown in contact with the stop-pin. Figpt is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the register, taken in the plane of the main shaft thereof. Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear elevation of the hand or pointer and its accessories. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the upper portion of the drivingpulley, the bolt of a lock being seen engaged therewith. Fig. 7 shows the frietion-brake that is applied to one of the wheels of the train.

A represents a dial the face of which is pitl ted or perforated at a, said perforations being generally arranged in a circle concentric with the main shaft B, and being numbered at suitable intervals, so as to be readily counted. A greater or less number of these perforations may be employed7 according to the special use the register is to be put to; but I prefer one hundred holes, so as to have one for every cent in a dollar, which will be` sufficient for all ordinary toll purposes. Adapted for ready insertion in either one of these holes is a pin or other stop, G, depending from a cord or flexible connection, c, the latter being fastened. to a swivel, c', capable of turning around the main shaft B. Furthermore, the outer end of this shaft carries a gong or bell, D, and

in addition thereto a pointer or hand, E, to the rear side of which latter is pivoted at e a lever, F, provided with ahammer, f, adapted' to strike said gong. (See Fig. 5.) A portion,j", of this lever projects out at one side of the free end of hand E, so as to strike against the stop-pin G, and thereby sound the gong.

' The inner end of main shaft B has secured to it a driving-pulley, G, which is preferably grooved, as at g, to admit a strap, cord, or chain, H, one end of which is fastened in said groove, as seen at h in Fig. This cord traverses a tube, I, secured to the back of dial A, and has depending. from its exposed end a handle or pull, 7L.

The driving-pulley G must be arranged so as to automatically turn in an opposite direction after thecord H has been uncoiled therefrom, for the purpose of instantly restoring the pointer E to the zero-mark of the dial. One method of doing this would be by means of the coiled spring J, (seen in Fig. 1,) and another way would be to provide the pulley with a hub, g, (represented in Figs. a and 6,) andfasten IOO one end of a strap or cord, K, thereto, the other extremity of said cord being secured to the free end of a suitable spring, L. The fixed end of this spring could be attached to a bearing, as seen in Fig. 2. The pulley G has a stop-pin, g, adapted to strike against astrip, M, and thereby prevent said pulley turning too far in either direction. This strip should be flexible or yielding, so as to spring when struck by the stop-pin, and thus avoid any sudden jar or concussion. n1. is a staple that confines the lower end of this springstrip. The driving-pulley has a pawl, N, engaging with a ratchet, o, on the front surface of a wheel, O, which I shall designate as the centwheel,77 because said wheel has one hundred teeth, or, in other words, one tooth for each hole in the dial. Furthermore, the periphery of this cent-wheel has one hundred ratchetteeth o, for the engagement of a pawl, l), that prevents said wheel being turned in the .wrong direction. Adapted to grasp the periphery ofthis wheel is a rubber or leather pad, p, secured in a clan1p-plate, 1)', (seen in Fig. 7,) the object of this pad being to afford sufficient friction to arrest said wheel the very instant the pawl N ceases to act against the ratchet o.

The wheel O is fastened to a shaft, R, that turns within a bent platel or frame, S, secured to the back of the dial, the rear end of said shaft having a disk, r, attached thereto, for the purpose of steadying said cent-wheel. Projecting horizontally from the rear of disk o is a short stud, o, which is adapted at every complete revolution of said disk to engage one tooth of a wheel, T, which I shall designate as the dollar-wheel,7 because it registers the number of dollars received by the toll-col lector.

Projecting from the front of this dollarwheel is a stop-pin, t, adapted to strike against the frame S, and thus prevent said wheels making more than one complete revolution around the iixed stud-shaft U. This shaft has a square, a, iitted within a similar-shaped hole in the frame S, and secured by a washer and screw, u', the rear end of said shaft terminating with a steadying-disk, V, from which projects a pointer, o. lw is a similar pointer attached to the upper end of the frame S, and XV is a spring-pawl secured to said frame, which pawl prevents accidental turning ofthe dollar-wheel T.

X is a lock having a bolt, au, adapted to engage with a keeper, ai', of the driving-pulley G, as seen in Fig. 6. This lock may be secured in any desired position, but its keyhole fr must be accessible only at the front ofthe dial, as seen in Fig. l.

Y is a box inclosing the gearing, &c., andy is a lid or cover of the former, which lid may be provided either with a combination or seal lock, to prevent the registering-wheels being tampered with.

Z is a spring that keeps the hammer f out of contact with the gong D.

The operation of my register is as follows:

Then all the parts are in their normal positions the bolt of lock X is retracted, andthe.

zero of the cent-wheel O is in line with the pointer w, while the zero of the dollar-wheel T is in line with the other pointer, o, as seen in Fig. 2. Furthermore, in this normal condition of the register the hand Fipoints tothe Zero-mark of the dial A, and the stress ofthe spring J or L causes the rope H to be wound around the drum or hub g' of pulley G, said pulley being held in this position bythe stoppin g coming in contact with the strip M, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6. Presuming now that the first traveler pays fifteen cents toll, the collector at once inserts the pin C in the hole numbered fifteen and pulls down on the handle h. This act causes the driving-pulley G to turn in the direction ot' the arrow seen in Fig. 6, and as the shaft B is fastened to said pulley this shaft and its attached hand E must move in unison therewith. Thehand accord` ingly swings around in the direction ofthe arrow seen in Fig. l, and as soon as the extensionj' of the lever F comes in contact with the pin C the hammcrfstrikes the gong D, and thus gives audible notice of the tolls being registered. This contact ofsaid extension with the pin arrests the turning of the hand Fl, and when the collector quits his grasp of the pull hthc stress of the spring J orL causes a retrograde turning of thc pulley G, and thereby swings said hand back to its normal position. Vhile the pulley is turning to advance the hand to the proper number the pawlNis causingasimilarturning ofthe centwheel O, and after a sufficient number of tolls7 have been collected to cause one complete revolution of said wheel the stud r will engage with the dollarwheel T. As a result of this engagement thc latter wheel will be turned a distance of one tooth only, and, assuming that wheel T has thirty teeth, it is evident the cent wheel O must revolve thirty times before the dollar-wheel T can make one complete revolution and bring its stop-pin t in contact with the frame S, so as to prevent further registration. The lid y can then be unlocked and opened by the proper officer, who can tell at a glance how much money the toll-collector has receivedthe wheel T indicating that he has taken in thirty dollars, while the fractional parts of the same are shown by the wheel O. These fractional parts of a dollar are obtained by counting the ratchets o to the right of the Zero-mark of the wheel O, which ratchets indicate the cents over and above the thirty dollars shown on the wheel T, and in order to facilitate the reading of the cent-wheel its principal ratchet o may be numbered inthe same manner as is the dial A. After noting down the amount indicated by the register, the pawls P XV are raised and the wheels O T are turned back to their respective Zeromarks. Said pawls are then allowed to re-engagc with said wheels, the lid is closed and locked, and the register is again ready for use. As the IOC IOS

IIO

handle h is at all times exposed, it might be pulled at night by seme unauthorized person, and thereby cause the register to charge the collector with tolls that had never been received. To prevent such an occurrence, the collecter has only te insert his key in the leek X and shoot the bolt cinto the keeper x', which latter is always in line with said bolt when the hand E is in its normal position.

In the drawings, the hub gis shown en the rear side of pulley G; but it is evident it may be on the front of said pulley, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4.,

I claim as my inventionl 1. A tell-collectors register comprising a dial having a series of pits er perferations, a removable pin for optional insertion in leither of said pits or perforatiens, a shaft whose inner end actuates a train of registering gearwheels, a hand secured to the outer end of said shaft, and bell-striking devices applied te said hand, which latter can be turned around the face of said dial for the purpose of soundinga bell or gong when said striking devices come in positive and direct contact with the inserted pin, substantially as herein described.

LA toll-collectors register comprising a dial having a series of pits or perferations, a removable pin for optional insertion in either of said pits or perforations, a shaft Whose inner end aetuates a train of registering gear- Wheels, a hand secured te the outer end ofv said shaft, and bell-striking devices applied tothe rear side of said hand, which latter can be turned around the face of said dial for the purpose of sounding a bell or gong when said striking devices come in positive and direct contact 'with the inserted pin, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, in a toll-eelleetors reg` ister, of a perforated dial, A a, shaft B, removable pin G, coupling c e, gong D, hand E, pivoted bell-striker e F f f, pulley G, 'feed-pawl N, ratchet-wheel O o o, gear-wheel T t, iiexible coupling H, spring L, and detents P YV, substantially as herein described.

4. A toll-eolleetors register having a gong, D, applied to the outer end of a shaft, B, that carries the hand E, said hand being provided with devices that strike said gong, substantially as herein described.

5. A toll-cellectors register consisting of a train of registering gear-wheels, a dial, a hand adapted to turn in front el' the samevand to be positively arrested upon being brought in eentact with a pin inserted in said dial, and a spring forY automatically restoring said hand to the Zero-mark of said dial, substantially as herein described.

ln testimony whereof IafiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VALTER.. T. LOOMIS.

ll'fitnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

